'This Week' Transcript: Tim Pawlenty and Mitch Daniels

WASHINGTON, May 29, 2011

Page 11 of 16

I don't think the New York race will drive people away from this,
because it would have been a different outcome. Too close for comfort,
but a different outcome. The Republican almost certainly would have won
if there hadn't been one of these free-booting third-party candidates
who spent $3 million, every penny of it his. He got no contributions,
as far as anyone can tell.

Beyond that, what the Republicans have learned is -- Pat Moynihan
used to tell me this -- after long public life, he said you cannot
exaggerate how often and how simply you have to say things in public
life to get this country's attention.

AMANPOUR: So do you agree that the Democrat won only because the
race was split?

BRAZILE: This race, it was won on three issue, Medicare, Medicare,
Medicare. And Kathy ran a great race. She was on message. She pointed
out that her opponent, Ms. Corwin, supported the Ryan plan. That was a
kiss of death, and the Republicans know it. The Republicans are on
record now to end Medicare as we know it. They're going to have to deal
with that.

And let me just tell you, Bill Clinton was thrilled that Kathy
Hochul won that race. And for Democrats up on Capitol Hill, they have
new life, new air under their wings.

KARL: But Bill Clinton also made an important statement there. He
said that I hope Democrats don't use this as an excuse to do nothing,
and that is exactly what Democrats are doing right now. There is no
Democratic plan on reforming Medicare. We're waiting for the president
to come out with a plan. The president's old budget lost 97-0 in a vote
in the Senate. So, you know, I mean, who -- Republicans are scared.
They are definitely scared. But there is nothing coming from the other
side.

BRAZILE: But the Ryan plan -- the Ryan plan lost. The Toomey plan
lost. Look, the Senate was in a mood to just say no so they can get out
of town. But the Republicans have consistently tried to kill Medicare
for the last 30 years, and the Democrats...

GILLESPIE: No, that -- that is not true.

(CROSSTALK)

GILLESPIE: We've been trying to save Medicare. And the only party
that has a plan to save Medicare is the Republican Party. The Democrats
in the Senate, who have controlled the Senate for -- for, you know,
three years, going on three years now, haven't passed a budget in 760
days.

AMANPOUR: OK.

GILLESPIE: They have nothing to offer the American people. That
will be the choice.

AMANPOUR: And we will continue this discussion in the green room.
And Mitch Daniels told me that actually he thought Medicare should be a
litmus test in this coming-up election. So join us there at
abcnews.com/thisweek, where you can also find our fact checks of today's
interviews from PolitiFact.

And when we return, getting jobs and hiring in this economy, but
first, the Sunday funnies, so stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

AMANPOUR: And now, the Sunday funnies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMMEL: The field for the Republican candidate for president is
finally taking shape. After announcing that he would not run last week,
he made a big announcement. Donald Trump told "Fox and Friends" this
morning he might run. See, that's the kind of decisiveness we need.